JPH05102001A - Treatment-object conveyance apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a wafer conveyance apparatus wherein a wafer and wafer information are moved simultaneously and the wafer is conveyed automatically without causing the contradiction of a treatment in all cases by a method wherein a treatment object (e.g. the wafer) as an object to be treated, a job and wafer information such as a treatment result or the like are integrated. CONSTITUTION:A conveyance apparatus which delivers a treatment object to a semiconductor aligner 1 is provided with an information exchange means which records a piece of information on a treatment object 3 in the treatment object 3 and which simultaneously delivers the information to the semiconductor aligner 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to IC, LSI, VLSI
The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor elements such as, and more particularly to an automatic transfer mechanism for a wafer or a reticle (mask).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, various settings relating to wafer processing in each manufacturing process can be performed on individual wafers used as manufacturing materials for semiconductor elements as the number of kinds of semiconductors manufactured decreases. Has been desired.

With the automation of the production line, a function of automatically managing information on how individual wafers are processed in each semiconductor manufacturing process, and automatically changing the process of the next process by this. Has been desired.

In the conventional semiconductor exposure apparatus, it was possible to set the job for each wafer and the processing result for each wafer.

However, conventionally, the wafer actually loaded into the exposure apparatus main body is recognized as the wafer to be processed next, and the job is switched at this point to perform the sequential processing. Similarly, when the wafer baking operation is completed, the wafer actually carried out from the exposure apparatus main body is recognized as the wafer processed by the job, and the processing result is set.

[0006]

According to the prior art, in a series of wafer processes in which processes in other semiconductor manufacturing processes or processes on a semiconductor exposure apparatus are different, the wafer actually loaded into the exposure apparatus main body is He recognized it as a wafer to be processed.

According to this, for example, when a certain one wafer is removed by the operator on the transfer path due to a wafer adsorption failure, the exposure apparatus body does not recognize that the wafer has been removed and the wafer is removed. Then, the wafer carried into the exposure apparatus main body is recognized as the wafer, the job is switched, and the processing is performed.

Further, when the wafer is removed as described above, the next loaded wafer is stored in the storage destination of the wafer without recognizing that the wafer has been removed in the exposure apparatus main body. It was

As described above, when the wafer is removed on the transfer path, a contradiction occurs between the original wafer to be processed and the job, and the yield of semiconductor devices produced is reduced due to an error in the processing method. Was causing.

Similarly, when the wafer is removed on the transfer path, a contradiction occurs between the original processing target wafer and the processing result, and the processing for this wafer is stopped despite the non-defective wafer. This has hindered the semiconductor manufacturing process after the baking process.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art. The object to be transferred (for example, a wafer) and wafer information such as a job and a processing result are integrated to integrate the wafer and the wafer. An object of the present invention is to provide a wafer transfer apparatus having a function of simultaneously transferring information and information and automatically transferring a wafer without causing a process contradiction in any case.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a wafer transfer apparatus in a semiconductor exposure apparatus for printing a circuit pattern on a substrate,
A means for holding wafer information for each wafer to be processed, a means for moving the wafer information in accordance with the progress of wafer transfer, and a means for exchanging wafer information with other devices used other than the wafer baking process. , Means for storing wafer information.

Further, in the preferred embodiment, depending on the result of the processing on the wafer on the semiconductor exposure apparatus,
There is provided means for changing a job relating to control after the wafer baking process, automatically or by input of an operator.

Further, in the preferred embodiment, when the wafer is removed as described above, a means for moving the wafer information as a virtual wafer at the same timing as when the wafer actually exists is provided.

Thus, the wafer transfer apparatus of the present invention is
Since a unit for holding the wafer information for each processed wafer and a unit for moving the wafer information at an appropriate timing in all cases are provided, a series of wafers that are processed differently in the semiconductor manufacturing process by using these units. In any case, it is possible to automatically carry the processing without causing a processing contradiction.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic structure of a semiconductor exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, this apparatus is composed of a light source, a shutter and a projection lens, and a projection apparatus 1 on which a reticle having a circuit pattern is mounted, and a wafer 3 placed on the XY plane and in the height direction. The moving wafer stage 2 and the wafer stage 2 from the device 6 for performing the pre-process
A wafer carry-in device 4 for carrying the wafer, a wafer carry-out device 5 for carrying the wafer from the wafer stage 2 to a device 7 for performing the next process, and a controller 8 for controlling the entire exposure apparatus. The control device 8 is connected to the device 6 of the previous process and the device 7 of the next process by a communication line 9.

FIG. 2 shows items of parameters stored as wafer information in this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a series of wafer processing and a flow of wafer information in this semiconductor exposure apparatus.

In the same figure, (a) shows a flow of a series of wafers and wafer information, and (b) shows a flow of processing for a wafer suction defect among abnormal processing during wafer transfer.

First, in step S1 shown in FIG.
The wafer is transferred from the device 6 which performs the process of the previous process to the wafer carry-in device 4. Next, in step S2, the wafer information corresponding to the wafer is received from the apparatus 6 that performs the process of the previous step, and held as the wafer information for the wafer on the wafer carry-in apparatus 4. In step S3, the wafer is loaded into the wafer stage 2 from the wafer loading device 4.

In step S4, a chuck for a wafer suction defect at the time of wafer loading and a process when a wafer suction defect occurs are performed. In step S5, the wafer information is moved from the wafer carry-in device 4 to the wafer stage 2. Next, in step S6, a wafer baking process is performed according to the job stored in the wafer information.

In step S7, the result of the wafer baking process is stored in the exposure status in the wafer information corresponding to the wafer on the wafer stage. Next, in step S8, the wafer is transferred from the wafer stage 2 to the wafer unloading device 5. In step S9, the wafer information is moved from the wafer stage 2 to the wafer unloading device 5.

In step S10, a chuck for a wafer suction failure during wafer unloading and a process when a wafer suction failure occurs are performed. Next, in step S11, the wafer is transferred from the wafer unloading device 5 to the device 7 that performs the next process.

In step S12, the wafer information about the wafer on the carry-out device is processed by the device 7 for performing the next process.
Hand over to. Further, in step S13, it is checked whether or not the processing for all the wafers is completed. If not completed, the process returns to step S1 to perform the processing for the next wafer, and if not, the processing is completed.

FIG. 3B shows a flow of processing corresponding to steps S4 and S10, that is, a process for checking a wafer suction defect and a process when a wafer suction defect occurs.

First, in step S41, it is checked whether a wafer suction error has occurred. If an error occurs in step S41, the process waits until the wafer is removed by the operator in step S42, and further, in step S43, the wafer presence / absence status in the wafer information on the wafer on the wafer carry-in device indicates that there is no wafer. Set.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment,
It can be implemented with various modifications.

For example, steps S2 and S in FIG.
5 and immediately after S9, a process for storing the wafer information in the nonvolatile memory or the like is inserted, and even when the power is cut off, the wafer information stored in the wafer is used when the power is turned on next time. It is possible to continue the processing of.

Further, steps S1, S2 of FIG.
Instead of S11 and S12, it is also possible to change so that a wafer is loaded into and unloaded from a wafer storage device provided on the exposure apparatus.

Further, it is also possible to replace the object to be conveyed according to the present invention with a reticle having a circuit pattern drawn thereon. For example, using information such as the reticle identifier, the take-out or storage location, and the transportation state as reticle information, in each step of FIGS. 3A and 3B, the wafer is replaced with the reticle, and the wafer information is replaced with the reticle information. Further, by replacing the device for performing the processes of the previous process and the next process with the reticle automatic transfer device in the semiconductor production facility, it becomes possible to realize the reticle transfer device which transfers the reticle information at the same time as the reticle.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, the wafer information is held for each wafer, and the wafer information is moved at an appropriate timing as the wafer transfer progresses. Since the wafer information is changed in this manner, a series of wafers having different processes in the semiconductor manufacturing process can be automatically transferred in any case without causing a process contradiction.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a semiconductor exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing items of wafer information held in wafer units in the embodiment of FIG.

3A and 3B are flowcharts related to a series of wafer processing and processing for a suction failure in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 1, respectively.

[Explanation of symbols]

1; Projector, 2; Wafer stage, 3; Wafer, 4;
Wafer carry-in device, 5; Wafer carry-out device, 6; Device for performing processing in the previous process, 7; Device for performing processing in the next process, 8; Control device.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A transport device for delivering a processed product to a semiconductor exposure apparatus, for recording information about the processed product on the processed product, and delivering the information to the semiconductor exposure apparatus at the same time as the processed product. A processed object transporting apparatus for a semiconductor exposure apparatus, characterized by comprising information exchange means. 2. The processed product transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processed product is a reticle having a circuit pattern to be exposed and transferred, or a semiconductor wafer on which the circuit pattern is printed through the reticle. 3. The processed product transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processed product recorded with the information is processed based on the information. 4. The information includes any one of taken out / stored place information of a processed product, processing information of a previous process, processing information of an exposure process, processing information of a subsequent process, and processed product presence / absence status information. The processed material transfer device according to claim 1. 5. The processed product transfer apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the information includes information about another semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for the processed product. 6. The processed product transporting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a non-volatile storage unit for storing the information.